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arXiv · 2105.03353

The JCMT Gould Belt Survey: radiative heating by OB stars

Damian Rumble·Jennifer Hatchell·Helen Kirk·Kate Pattle
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Abstract

Radiative feedback can influence subsequent star formation. We quantify the heating from OB stars in the local star-forming regions in the JCMT Gould Belt survey. Dust temperatures are calculated from 450/850 micron flux ratios from SCUBA-2 observations at the JCMT assuming a fixed dust opacity spectral index $\beta=1.8$. Mean dust temperatures are calculated for each submillimetre clump along with projected distances from the main OB star in the region. Temperature vs. distance is fit with a simple model of dust heating by the OB star radiation plus the interstellar radiation field and dust cooling through optically thin radiation. Classifying the heating sources by spectral type, O-type stars produce the greatest clump average temperature rises and largest heating extent, with temperatures over 40 K and significant heating out to at least 2.4 pc. Early-type B stars (B4 and above) produce temperatures of over 20 K and significant heating over 0.4 pc. Late-type B stars show a marginal heating effect within 0.2 pc. For a given projected distance, there is a significant scatter in clump temperatures that is due to local heating by other luminous stars in the region, projection effects, or shadowing effects. Even in these local, `low-mass' star-forming regions, radiative feedback is having an effect on parsec scales, with 24% of the clumps heated to at least 3 K above the 15 K base temperature expected from heating by only the interstellar radiation field, and a mean dust temperature for heated clumps of 24 K.

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Damian Rumble, Jennifer Hatchell, Helen Kirk, Kate Pattle. 2021-05-07. The JCMT Gould Belt Survey: radiative heating by OB stars. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab1354

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